Court Rules In Favor Of Couple's Right To Display For Sale Sign

The Arizona Court of Appeals has upheld the right of a
homeowner to put up a for sale sign, despite a homeowner's association ban.

The
ruling comes in the case of Robert and Cecilia Hawk, who bought a lot in a
planned community in Flagstaff
in 2009. When they wanted to sell it two years later, they put up a for sale
sign, triggering a fight with the property owner's association. The couple
cited a state law voiding rules that ban outdoor signs. The Court of Appeals
ruled the homeowners rights trump that of their neighbors, a decision supported
by the Arizona Association of Realtors' Michelle Lind.

“For sale signs are one of the most valuable, cost-effective
methods to communicate property's for sale, both for sellers who want to sell
their property and want to put a for sale sign on their property, and for
buyers trying to locate property,” Lind said.

Lind, whose group supported the Hawks in their suit, says
many buyers first decide on a neighborhood, then cruise the area looking for
what's available, making a for sale sign a key trigger in many home sales.